I like food. A lot. That is, food that tastes good. And I don't understand why people make food that looks and tastes like bird food and horse food. Ok, lets take a step back. As an athlete, I know the importance of eating healthily, but what I don't get is why people make and eat food that has so many grains, seeds, and nuts that I'm shocked they can fit the ingredient list on the box. Have people not realized that one can eat healthily and at the same time eat enjoyable food though? In case you haven't guessed yet, in today's instance I'm talking about cereals. My mom is a wonderful mom, but more importantly, she is a wonderful cook. ;) She really genuinely cares about making sure we kids eat healthily, and when she cooks, makes the meals taste good while at the same time always includes all the food groups. Today, though, we had this cereal stuff that was absolutely gross. But it did have 6 grams of protein, 20 grams of whole grains, (probably one gram of each kind) and 2.5 grams of fiber. My question is WHO CARES? It belonged more in a bird-feeder than my bowl! Although man lost many things because of the fall, God did not say "because of your sin, Adam, you must forever replenish yourself as the birds of the air do; only eating berries, seeds, grains, insects, worms, and spiders."
Ok, there weren't any bugs in the cereal, but I think you get the idea. God gave us food for our enjoyment. It is also supposed to be a prefiguration of heaven; Jesus often referred to heaven as the heavenly banquet. And I for one, take that as a sign that food should always be enjoyable, because heaven is always enjoyable, is it not? I mean, if birdseed-cereal and mushrooms are a prefiguration of heaven, St. Peter can take me off the list.
So now that you can see that food is meant to be enjoyable, go enjoy it! Savor it while you can, because there ain't gonna be no ice cream sundaes after you die; either you'll be enjoying the ultimate spiritual feast which is infinitely better than a physical feast because it is of a higher nature, or you will be cooking in the devils oven...lets hope its the former.
That doesn't mean that you should go and eat Macdonald's all day, everyday. But that you should enjoy food in a reasonable, healthy way. Even dieting has its place for performance, disciplinary, and simply weight-loss reasons. Because although food is important there are more important things in life. If one is overweight for example, it can hurt one's self esteem and lead to depression, which can lead to despair and that's not good. If you are trying to shed a few though, I personally think an intense, regular workout regimen is much more efficient than dieting.
Bonjour and bon appetit!
-Thomas, who hopes you had as much fun reading this as he had writing it!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Yesterday, Today, and the FUTURE!!!!!!!
Ok. I know there wasn't a post yesterday, but I have a good excuse because I was gone literally all day. So now I will tell you about it.
Yesterday started with a debate at 6:00 in the morning. It was pretty much should I go do what I want to do?... sleep in, go to mass and then probably do something with friends, or do what I should do...go volunteer for this non-profit that takes special needs kids to the beach where they get to go surfing, kayaking etc. It was a hard decision. But I finally decided to go to BestDay, that's the name of the organization, because I knew the side of me that wanted to do the first option was the self-centered side of me. And that was quite strange, because its usually the self-centered side that wins. ;)
When I got to BestDay I was like, wow, why did I do this? My friends are probably chilling at a coffee shop right now and here I am at the beach working my butt off for nothing. *Giving me a virtual slap in the face would be appropriate now*
But once I met the kid that I was a "beach buddy" for, all of my regrets faded away. Basically, what a "beach buddy" does is babysit a special needs kid for the day; he takes the kid to and from all the different stations; makes sure he stays hydrated and plays with him. My kids name this time was Alias. He was lightly autistic, nine, in 3rd grade, a computer geek, and future engineer. I can't put into words how rewarding being a beach buddy is. Even though I would have considered Alias a spoilt, disrespectful kid if he were not autistic, the feeling that you get from knowing that a kid, who is normally probably shunned and made fun of by his or her peers, is maybe or the first time in his or her life the center of attention in a good way and being treated the same way as "normal" kid would be, is one of the most amazing one can experience. Just one of the hundreds of smiles one sees throughout the day makes all the effort worth it. :)
My brother and I got home a little before 3 and then went straight to a party at our friends house. It was a ton of fun. We had ice cream, chilled, went and chilled at a park, came back for dinner, chilled some more, and watched some TV.
I had way too much ice cream though. It was the first time I had really had ice cream in months, and I had a Klondike Bar and two huge bowls of ice cream. Needless to say, I think my system was a little shocked and I am still feeling the consequences today. :(
The TV show was a BBC drama/comedy from the 90's...I had watched them years ago, but had forgotten how funny it was. Also, I am now convinced that one of my friends is trying to be the main guy from the show because he didn't used to act the way he does, and now upon re-watching an episode of that TV show, I have realized that a) my friend acts and expresses himself in exactly the same way as the main character, and I mean EXACTLY b) that he loves that TV show. Coincidence? I think not.
Speaking of being convinced, I think I was acting a wee bit asinine last night...not as bad as the baseball game, but still a little bit asinine. But whatever, that's nothing new. :P You know, I actually don't think I was actually that asinine at all, but I love the word asinine and think it is underused. So I wanted to use it and, as I am always (well maybe not always, but at least most of the time; and especially at parties) at least a little bit asinine, I thought talking about last night would be in context. ;)
Oh and I took a physics test this morning...I think it went great, but I guess we'll see when I get it back.
-Thomas, who is super stoked for Oct......every weekend has something fun going on...heck yeah!!!
Yesterday started with a debate at 6:00 in the morning. It was pretty much should I go do what I want to do?... sleep in, go to mass and then probably do something with friends, or do what I should do...go volunteer for this non-profit that takes special needs kids to the beach where they get to go surfing, kayaking etc. It was a hard decision. But I finally decided to go to BestDay, that's the name of the organization, because I knew the side of me that wanted to do the first option was the self-centered side of me. And that was quite strange, because its usually the self-centered side that wins. ;)
When I got to BestDay I was like, wow, why did I do this? My friends are probably chilling at a coffee shop right now and here I am at the beach working my butt off for nothing. *Giving me a virtual slap in the face would be appropriate now*
But once I met the kid that I was a "beach buddy" for, all of my regrets faded away. Basically, what a "beach buddy" does is babysit a special needs kid for the day; he takes the kid to and from all the different stations; makes sure he stays hydrated and plays with him. My kids name this time was Alias. He was lightly autistic, nine, in 3rd grade, a computer geek, and future engineer. I can't put into words how rewarding being a beach buddy is. Even though I would have considered Alias a spoilt, disrespectful kid if he were not autistic, the feeling that you get from knowing that a kid, who is normally probably shunned and made fun of by his or her peers, is maybe or the first time in his or her life the center of attention in a good way and being treated the same way as "normal" kid would be, is one of the most amazing one can experience. Just one of the hundreds of smiles one sees throughout the day makes all the effort worth it. :)
My brother and I got home a little before 3 and then went straight to a party at our friends house. It was a ton of fun. We had ice cream, chilled, went and chilled at a park, came back for dinner, chilled some more, and watched some TV.
I had way too much ice cream though. It was the first time I had really had ice cream in months, and I had a Klondike Bar and two huge bowls of ice cream. Needless to say, I think my system was a little shocked and I am still feeling the consequences today. :(
The TV show was a BBC drama/comedy from the 90's...I had watched them years ago, but had forgotten how funny it was. Also, I am now convinced that one of my friends is trying to be the main guy from the show because he didn't used to act the way he does, and now upon re-watching an episode of that TV show, I have realized that a) my friend acts and expresses himself in exactly the same way as the main character, and I mean EXACTLY b) that he loves that TV show. Coincidence? I think not.
Speaking of being convinced, I think I was acting a wee bit asinine last night...not as bad as the baseball game, but still a little bit asinine. But whatever, that's nothing new. :P You know, I actually don't think I was actually that asinine at all, but I love the word asinine and think it is underused. So I wanted to use it and, as I am always (well maybe not always, but at least most of the time; and especially at parties) at least a little bit asinine, I thought talking about last night would be in context. ;)
Oh and I took a physics test this morning...I think it went great, but I guess we'll see when I get it back.
-Thomas, who is super stoked for Oct......every weekend has something fun going on...heck yeah!!!
Saturday, September 28, 2013
A serious post from a serious feeling dude.
Today I went to the funeral of a family friend. Although the circumstances were somewhat tragic--she died of cancer after a two year battle at the young age of 27--it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever experienced. It has often been said that the most telling sign of true friendship is the way in which one's friends act when one is not around. Today was a huge testament to the fact that Rosie was a true friend. There were around 700 people gathered in her remembrance. I was struck by many things, but two of them stand out the most to me.
The first of these has to do with her death. If you are reading this blog, and do not believe in God or life after death, when you read, “Although...were somewhat tragic” you probably were thinking, “Wow, this guy is heartless! I would call someone dying at a young age VERY tragic.” That ties into what I was thinking about. One of the most commonly used arguments against the existence of an all-powerful, loving God and life after death are tragedies such as Rosie's death. They ask, How could a loving God let things like this happen? Its a valid argument from an atheist's view; all they see is a pointless life. She didn't really accomplish anything in the eyes of the world. But as Christians, we can see that her life and death were in reality a testament to God's love. He not only gave us the gift of experiencing a beautiful life, he gave her the grace to die a courageous and holy death. But even more importantly, he called her home; he loved her so much, he couldn't bear to wait any longer. So, to sum it up, where all one can see as an atheist is worthlessness and death, we (lucky) Christians see a beautiful testament of God's love....Its just great being Christian, isn't it?
And now for a picture....
...That's yours truly with two people from Ireland that I met while on a hike friend on left and sister on left in Yosemite last month. Sorry, but I still haven't transferred the pictures to my love.
-Thomas
Author's note: What I said are my beliefs, and I understand that they are
contrary to the beliefs of others. I did not write this to hurt or
offend anyone and I hope that none who read this are.
Friday, September 27, 2013
My team lost. :(
While we were in Ireland, the county that we were staying in was in the All-Ireland final against Dublin. When we were driving to our B&B from the airport, we kept on seeing these signs. There were signs literally everywhere wishing "the boys" luck. So, when we went to the pub that night, we asked the bartender what it was all for. From what I gathered, every year there a tournament in which all the counties in Ireland compete, until there is only one left. They were down to two when we got there. Mayo hadn't won in 57 years, so it was a really big deal. Dublin wins a lot because it is the most populous county in Ireland, so it was David vs. Goliath; the farm boys against the city slickers. Goliath won. By one freaking point. For you to understand how close that is, I have to 'splain things a little bit. You can either score a goal or a point: a goal is like a soccer goal, and on top of the goal there are uprights that you can kick the ball through to get a point. A goal is worth three points. So, if you think about it, Mayo lost by 1/3 of a goal...its devastating.
Ok. Why am I boring you with this? Because the real reason of this post is to bore you all to death. No, I actually just wanted to share some highlights from the game. Its probably the most insane sport ever. Anyway. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFavFipgkCU As you probably will notice, that's only the 1st half. If you're interested in the second half here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOY3gwDK9Uo
Its so great! If it didn't look like it takes an amazing amount of skill, I would try playing it with my friends. ;P
I am also a very happy person right now because I found my hat. You have no idea. I got it in Ireland, and it had been lost since the night I got home. I found it under my brother's bed...have no idea how it got there. But my prodigal hat has returned and I am so stoked!!!!
Now I know I told you that I would do a daily picture, but I still haven't put the pictures from our trip on my love. (That's what my computer is called around here...again, I have NO idea why :P)
But here is a snapshot of my friend and I....
...That's us sending awful pictures to his girlfriend....I'm still not sure how he managed getting one in the first place. ;) Love you man!!!
Sorry, but that's the best I could do :P Hopefully by tomorrow I will have put the pictures on my love. But, even if I haven't, I like my readers and don't want them all to turn to stone, so I'll put a good one up tomorrow.
Have fun stormin' the castle!
-Thomas
Ok. Why am I boring you with this? Because the real reason of this post is to bore you all to death. No, I actually just wanted to share some highlights from the game. Its probably the most insane sport ever. Anyway. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFavFipgkCU As you probably will notice, that's only the 1st half. If you're interested in the second half here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOY3gwDK9Uo
Its so great! If it didn't look like it takes an amazing amount of skill, I would try playing it with my friends. ;P
I am also a very happy person right now because I found my hat. You have no idea. I got it in Ireland, and it had been lost since the night I got home. I found it under my brother's bed...have no idea how it got there. But my prodigal hat has returned and I am so stoked!!!!
Now I know I told you that I would do a daily picture, but I still haven't put the pictures from our trip on my love. (That's what my computer is called around here...again, I have NO idea why :P)
But here is a snapshot of my friend and I....
...That's us sending awful pictures to his girlfriend....I'm still not sure how he managed getting one in the first place. ;) Love you man!!!
Sorry, but that's the best I could do :P Hopefully by tomorrow I will have put the pictures on my love. But, even if I haven't, I like my readers and don't want them all to turn to stone, so I'll put a good one up tomorrow.
Have fun stormin' the castle!
-Thomas
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Ok, this is a test post for feedback.
So today my friend suggested a new theme for my posts because I told her that I wasn't sure if it was a good thing for me to have a blog because I don't think before I post things.
Ok. Here is the suggested post:
Gooooooooooood evening my virtual friends! I just biked 500 miles and I feel and smell like a road kill now. So, I'll go shower and sign off, because my sweat is clogging the keyboard.
-Thomas, who will now take a shower.
*End of post*
Well, that's it. Let me know if I should switch to that style, stay the same, or incorporate both.
And yes, I know my friends and I are extremely weird.
-Thomas, who is off to read some physics. :(
*Real end of post*
Ok. Here is the suggested post:
Gooooooooooood evening my virtual friends! I just biked 500 miles and I feel and smell like a road kill now. So, I'll go shower and sign off, because my sweat is clogging the keyboard.
-Thomas, who will now take a shower.
*End of post*
Well, that's it. Let me know if I should switch to that style, stay the same, or incorporate both.
And yes, I know my friends and I are extremely weird.
-Thomas, who is off to read some physics. :(
*Real end of post*
This is a post of absolute randomness
Ok. FB bores me to death most of the time, so I think I'm going to mostly put it on the shelf.
I've found something to replace my previous easy way of combating boredom, fb, though. Its blogger. On the top of all blogs there is a tab that says "next blog" I assumed that that meant the it would bring you to another blog that the original blogger either follows or writes. But its not. It just brings to as many random blogs as you want. And it can be quite amusing.
It's in way kind of depressing though. About 90% of the blogs haven't been active for at least a year.
That got me thinking about why they stopped...did the person die? If so, how? If not, why did blog go AWOL? Did the person get bored? Did the person get both their arms sucked off by a giant vacuum? Or is blogger a kind of evil weapon that Google has, that makes its users eventually go insane, and once they go insane Google deports them to some warehouse and makes them into clones, that in turn are responsible for keeping the evil empire up and running.
I'm still not sure which evil empire is more evil, Google or the Yankees.
Which reminds me. HAHA, the Yankees missed the playoffs, the Yankees missed the playoffs!
That in turn reminded me of the Red Sox, who did make the playoffs, and who are probably going to win the pennant.
And that reminds me of all the beards that the Red Sox players have.
Which reminds me of hair.
I got a haircut yesterday.
I look less like a fool, and more like a GI.
I think that since I'm not going to do fb very much anymore, I will do a daily picture with all of the rest of my posts
Don't worry, most of them will not be of my face.
Which is overly exposed because of my haircut.
Sorry, people who know me, but you are all going to have to live with it for about a month or so.
That's the great thing about hair, it grows.
I've gone on for more than long enough.
Wishing you a beautifully random day!
-Thomas, who is wondering if anyone made it to the bottom of this.
I've found something to replace my previous easy way of combating boredom, fb, though. Its blogger. On the top of all blogs there is a tab that says "next blog" I assumed that that meant the it would bring you to another blog that the original blogger either follows or writes. But its not. It just brings to as many random blogs as you want. And it can be quite amusing.
It's in way kind of depressing though. About 90% of the blogs haven't been active for at least a year.
That got me thinking about why they stopped...did the person die? If so, how? If not, why did blog go AWOL? Did the person get bored? Did the person get both their arms sucked off by a giant vacuum? Or is blogger a kind of evil weapon that Google has, that makes its users eventually go insane, and once they go insane Google deports them to some warehouse and makes them into clones, that in turn are responsible for keeping the evil empire up and running.
I'm still not sure which evil empire is more evil, Google or the Yankees.
Which reminds me. HAHA, the Yankees missed the playoffs, the Yankees missed the playoffs!
That in turn reminded me of the Red Sox, who did make the playoffs, and who are probably going to win the pennant.
And that reminds me of all the beards that the Red Sox players have.
Which reminds me of hair.
I got a haircut yesterday.
I look less like a fool, and more like a GI.
I think that since I'm not going to do fb very much anymore, I will do a daily picture with all of the rest of my posts
Don't worry, most of them will not be of my face.
Which is overly exposed because of my haircut.
Sorry, people who know me, but you are all going to have to live with it for about a month or so.
That's the great thing about hair, it grows.
I've gone on for more than long enough.
Wishing you a beautifully random day!
-Thomas, who is wondering if anyone made it to the bottom of this.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
In my chest there is a feeling of emptiness...
...And that emptiness is like a dark, bottomless chasm. Ever growing larger and gnawing away at my sense of peace and happiness....psych.
Sorry, but I just couldn't help trying to scare you into thinking that is was going to be another uber dramatic, over-the-top post. ;) (I like messing with people, WAY. too. much.)
Ok, now for a little tidbit about yesterdays post: I think I mighta sorta maybe blew my problems way out of proportion. And it didn't come out exactly the way I wanted it to; there are things that I should have said better and things that I didn't say at all, but "what's done is done; there is no use in worrying about the past." So whatever.
Also, my coach reminded me that I never posted my actual place at worlds. I got 13th out of 40-something...not bad all things considered, but not good either.
And now I can write about what I really came on to write about, and that is, last night...
...I went to youth group for the first time since it started back up. (We took a break for the summer.)
Anyway. Last night was a bible-study night and when we do things like that we split into three groups. We have five leaders and thy are awesome; We have two girls and three guys, and I would characterize them in this way: starting with the girls...really, really nice, outgoing, and is trying her best to be the best person she can she can; in my opinion, pretty much a saint; crazy, but good; quiet, but good; quiet, but good. The "crazy, but good" guy usually leads a group, and the two "quiet, but good" guys usually pair up with one of the girls.
K. I really am going somewhere with this, you just have to trust me.
I'm usually in the "saint's" group. And, even though I know we will have a good, fruitful discussion, I'm always going, "Man, why can't I be in the crazy guy's group, they have so much fun in there." but then when we start our talk, its like a switch, and I have an amazing time instead of a fun time; I leave with a better understanding of life, and more ammunition for my fight against the devil. The "saint" had two great pieces of advice that I want to share with you. The first one was especially good for me to hear because a lot of things haven't been going the way I wanted them to go lately. It was, whenever something comes up and ruins your personal plans, remember that everything that happens is according to God's plan; you should look at these situations, then, as an opportunity to show him that you trust in his will and are willing to do whatever he asks of you. The other one was a quote, "You only love Jesus as much as you love the person you least like in your life."
Pretty great stuff, huh? You're (via the "saint") welcome. I think I would write some pretty gnarly sermons though. Maybe I should become a priest....I'd have to become a little less egocentric though. ;P
So, while the group I at first wanted to be with was locking their leader in the bathroom, having water-fights, and drawing on him with markers, our group was talking about how we can reconcile suffering with a loving God and learning how to love him more. Talk about not knowing what's good for me...sometimes my rebel-stupidity is laughable.
Well, I really should go finish my school.
Onwards and upwards!
-Thomas, who might post some more pictures of his trip. Might. Its really a big pain because it takes forever.
Sorry, but I just couldn't help trying to scare you into thinking that is was going to be another uber dramatic, over-the-top post. ;) (I like messing with people, WAY. too. much.)
Ok, now for a little tidbit about yesterdays post: I think I mighta sorta maybe blew my problems way out of proportion. And it didn't come out exactly the way I wanted it to; there are things that I should have said better and things that I didn't say at all, but "what's done is done; there is no use in worrying about the past." So whatever.
Also, my coach reminded me that I never posted my actual place at worlds. I got 13th out of 40-something...not bad all things considered, but not good either.
And now I can write about what I really came on to write about, and that is, last night...
...I went to youth group for the first time since it started back up. (We took a break for the summer.)
Anyway. Last night was a bible-study night and when we do things like that we split into three groups. We have five leaders and thy are awesome; We have two girls and three guys, and I would characterize them in this way: starting with the girls...really, really nice, outgoing, and is trying her best to be the best person she can she can; in my opinion, pretty much a saint; crazy, but good; quiet, but good; quiet, but good. The "crazy, but good" guy usually leads a group, and the two "quiet, but good" guys usually pair up with one of the girls.
K. I really am going somewhere with this, you just have to trust me.
I'm usually in the "saint's" group. And, even though I know we will have a good, fruitful discussion, I'm always going, "Man, why can't I be in the crazy guy's group, they have so much fun in there." but then when we start our talk, its like a switch, and I have an amazing time instead of a fun time; I leave with a better understanding of life, and more ammunition for my fight against the devil. The "saint" had two great pieces of advice that I want to share with you. The first one was especially good for me to hear because a lot of things haven't been going the way I wanted them to go lately. It was, whenever something comes up and ruins your personal plans, remember that everything that happens is according to God's plan; you should look at these situations, then, as an opportunity to show him that you trust in his will and are willing to do whatever he asks of you. The other one was a quote, "You only love Jesus as much as you love the person you least like in your life."
Pretty great stuff, huh? You're (via the "saint") welcome. I think I would write some pretty gnarly sermons though. Maybe I should become a priest....I'd have to become a little less egocentric though. ;P
So, while the group I at first wanted to be with was locking their leader in the bathroom, having water-fights, and drawing on him with markers, our group was talking about how we can reconcile suffering with a loving God and learning how to love him more. Talk about not knowing what's good for me...sometimes my rebel-stupidity is laughable.
Well, I really should go finish my school.
Onwards and upwards!
-Thomas, who might post some more pictures of his trip. Might. Its really a big pain because it takes forever.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Baseball game and other random thoughts.
Last night I went to a baseball game with a bunch of friends. While I would love to say it was super exciting, it was after all, a baseball game. But, it was with friends, so that made it bearable. Barely. *Insert favorite quote about how great friends are* No, it was actually quite fun.
We left for LA at 3:30 and got back at around 1:30. I can't complain. Ten hours chillin' with my friends, what more could I want? I also was really excited for the game. You ask, Why? It was baseball after all. I reply, some things are better to remain private. This isn't a personal diary, its a public blog for Pete's sake!
Anyway. Sometimes when I get excited I get into a really crazy, weird mood. Not anything bad or anything, but just immature, and, well insane. This would normally be fine, but there are basically two cliques that I hang with, one is prominently composed of boys and the other girls. The boys one is the original one, but I really just like people, so I think its really stupid that our community has to have two "groups." That's why I started to hang out with both groups...my master plan is to combine both groups. It's still a work in progress, but I think its slowly beginning to happen. Last night, most of the people were members of the second group. And although I really like them, its hard to get close to them because I get this sense that they think that I'm just putting on a show...I'm nice when I'm around them, but when I'm around the "other group" I'm a totally different person. And that's why its not cool to have those crazy moods. I get the feeling that they think that that's the way I am all the time when I'm around my bros. The truth is, every guy acts a little differently when he is around guys as opposed to girls. And its the same way with girls. There are some things that are guy-to-guy and there some things that are girl-to-girl. No difference. But when I think that they think that that's what I'm like all the time around other people, it just makes me sad. Hopefully all this is just a feeling and not a reality, because I really like the people in my "new" group, and it would be amazing to get to really know each other.
Ok. Sorry about all that drama...I know that is probably interested none of you, it just felt good to get that off my chest. Talk about things that are better to remain private. Sorry again. I just write what I think and feel; no filter allowed. And don't worry, this isn't going to become "The confessions of a drama queen." I'll make sure that the dramatic posts are few and far-spaced.
On a lighter note: I had two classes today. And, because of my trip, I was woefully behind. As it is strictly against my personal constitution to do schoolwork of any kind on the weekend, I was, to put it kindly, bit underprepared for my classes. I looked like even more of a fool than I usually do--something that my teachers had probably previously thought impossible. ;P
I hope you are enjoying life as much as I am....Do I have an upbeat personality or what?
-Thomas, who didn't proofread, even though this was a more serious post. All he can say is, sorry again.
We left for LA at 3:30 and got back at around 1:30. I can't complain. Ten hours chillin' with my friends, what more could I want? I also was really excited for the game. You ask, Why? It was baseball after all. I reply, some things are better to remain private. This isn't a personal diary, its a public blog for Pete's sake!
Anyway. Sometimes when I get excited I get into a really crazy, weird mood. Not anything bad or anything, but just immature, and, well insane. This would normally be fine, but there are basically two cliques that I hang with, one is prominently composed of boys and the other girls. The boys one is the original one, but I really just like people, so I think its really stupid that our community has to have two "groups." That's why I started to hang out with both groups...my master plan is to combine both groups. It's still a work in progress, but I think its slowly beginning to happen. Last night, most of the people were members of the second group. And although I really like them, its hard to get close to them because I get this sense that they think that I'm just putting on a show...I'm nice when I'm around them, but when I'm around the "other group" I'm a totally different person. And that's why its not cool to have those crazy moods. I get the feeling that they think that that's the way I am all the time when I'm around my bros. The truth is, every guy acts a little differently when he is around guys as opposed to girls. And its the same way with girls. There are some things that are guy-to-guy and there some things that are girl-to-girl. No difference. But when I think that they think that that's what I'm like all the time around other people, it just makes me sad. Hopefully all this is just a feeling and not a reality, because I really like the people in my "new" group, and it would be amazing to get to really know each other.
Ok. Sorry about all that drama...I know that is probably interested none of you, it just felt good to get that off my chest. Talk about things that are better to remain private. Sorry again. I just write what I think and feel; no filter allowed. And don't worry, this isn't going to become "The confessions of a drama queen." I'll make sure that the dramatic posts are few and far-spaced.
On a lighter note: I had two classes today. And, because of my trip, I was woefully behind. As it is strictly against my personal constitution to do schoolwork of any kind on the weekend, I was, to put it kindly, bit underprepared for my classes. I looked like even more of a fool than I usually do--something that my teachers had probably previously thought impossible. ;P
I hope you are enjoying life as much as I am....Do I have an upbeat personality or what?
-Thomas, who didn't proofread, even though this was a more serious post. All he can say is, sorry again.
Monday, September 23, 2013
I can't think of a name for this post, so think of one yourself.
I'm done with school for the day...I don't have to worry about calculus, physics, government, theology, and literature till tomorrow.
But what this post is really about is something that happened because of calculus. You see, I'm still reviewing pre-calc and the sheet that I studied today was in my sisters "house" (its like a guest house thing that we built for her once she graduated from college) and I saw in her book-shelf a book called "The Freedom Writers." I watched a movie that is based on the story a couple of months ago, and its a great story, so I picked up the book and started to read.
The movie is about the general story, which is roughly: In the 90's this new high school English teacher in, Long Beach, got a class of all the problem students. And by problem, I mean PROBLEM, as in people on probation, gang-bangers, and ex-juvies. They had no interest whatsoever in education, partly because they ever since they could remember they had been labeled as stupid, potential-less people; and partly because they knew they would be lucky if they lived to be old enough to graduate. She got them to love school through writing dairies, and reading about people who had similar experiences, such as Anne Frank. Its an amazing story. I highly recommend the movie, it is a powerful demonstration of the power of hard work and writing.
The book is composed of the dairies of "the freedom writers," as they dubbed themselves, and the teacher. It is a really interesting and emotionally charged read. And sometimes funny seeing the different students react to the things that their teacher makes them do. It makes me feel so grateful for all the blessings I have received. I recommend the book with a note of caution: It is writings the personal writings of the students and most of them had extremely rough lives. There are some pretty disturbing scenes in it and lots of language. But I think that the overall effect was a good one for me at least. Please read with discretion.
Well, that all for now.
-Thomas, who is extremely surprised that anything good came about from studying calculus.
But what this post is really about is something that happened because of calculus. You see, I'm still reviewing pre-calc and the sheet that I studied today was in my sisters "house" (its like a guest house thing that we built for her once she graduated from college) and I saw in her book-shelf a book called "The Freedom Writers." I watched a movie that is based on the story a couple of months ago, and its a great story, so I picked up the book and started to read.
The movie is about the general story, which is roughly: In the 90's this new high school English teacher in, Long Beach, got a class of all the problem students. And by problem, I mean PROBLEM, as in people on probation, gang-bangers, and ex-juvies. They had no interest whatsoever in education, partly because they ever since they could remember they had been labeled as stupid, potential-less people; and partly because they knew they would be lucky if they lived to be old enough to graduate. She got them to love school through writing dairies, and reading about people who had similar experiences, such as Anne Frank. Its an amazing story. I highly recommend the movie, it is a powerful demonstration of the power of hard work and writing.
The book is composed of the dairies of "the freedom writers," as they dubbed themselves, and the teacher. It is a really interesting and emotionally charged read. And sometimes funny seeing the different students react to the things that their teacher makes them do. It makes me feel so grateful for all the blessings I have received. I recommend the book with a note of caution: It is writings the personal writings of the students and most of them had extremely rough lives. There are some pretty disturbing scenes in it and lots of language. But I think that the overall effect was a good one for me at least. Please read with discretion.
Well, that all for now.
-Thomas, who is extremely surprised that anything good came about from studying calculus.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Yesterday, an apology, and a complaint.
Ok, so originally my brother, Dominic, was going to have a birthday/coming home party for me the night I got home. But he didn't because the important people thought it would be too crazy. After it didn't happen on Fri. Dominic told me that it was going to have to wait till next weekend because there was a wedding on Sat. that people were going to. Needless to say, I wasn't too happy about that, but it was out of my control so I just went along with it.
Yesterday was going to be fine, though, because my friends were playing soccer and I would get a chance to see them there. But, as it turned out, only four of us showed up. We four weren't very happy about that. It actually turned out to be super fun though. At first we played regular soccer, and then we "invented" this game that right now is "snail ball" until we think of a better name. Basically it is like soccer, only you can't run. The only big differences besides that, are that the field is smaller, you can play, and score from, either side of the goal, and lastly, the goal is pretty much a lawn chair folded up in its stuff bag, or something that is roughly the same shape and size. The best rule though, is the penalty for running: if someone runs, then his or her team has to hop on one leg for 15 sec.....just imagine how amazing to watch that game would be. :P
After we were done, my sister took me out to a coffee shop to catch up. It was really nice--thanks Soph. ;) But after we were done, I was wondering what I was going to do for the rest of the day. The outlook wasn't very good....probably taking naps all day.
Then, when I got inside, my mom comes up to me and says, "Hey Thomas come here, I have to show you something."
"What? Did something come for me?"
"No"
"Is it something special"
"No" (while I am walking into the dining-room)
Then, as I walked through the doorway, I was mobbed my all my friends....I was so surprised. I was thinking that I was in trouble, and was, in my head, going through all the things that I might be in trouble for. My friends said I looked like I thought they were going to kill me. XD
The party was so much fun. We alternated between eating, playing volleyball, watching volleyball, chilling, and playing water polo. My family and friends are so great!!!!!! Thanks so much!
After my parents were done with having us at our house, we party moved on to ones of my friend's house. We played games and watched a movie....the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Now for the apology and complaint parts of the post:
The apology is for all the typos on the blog. I have this awful habit of not proofreading my posts, and, as I am not the best typist, the result is a lot of them. Sorry! And deal with it, because I'm not changing it.
The complaint is jetlag. On Fri. I was up for 30 hours, not the best, but I'm cool with that. But the real problem is that I've woken up before 7 both days I've been home. It makes sense because 7 in the morning is 2 in the afternoon, but still. It's such a pain in the neck. And that complaint was brought to you by jetlag, the nemesis of travelers.
I'm off to take a shower.
Later.
-Thomas, who upon looking out the window and seeing a blue sky, really, really, really, wants to go to the beach. :)
Yesterday was going to be fine, though, because my friends were playing soccer and I would get a chance to see them there. But, as it turned out, only four of us showed up. We four weren't very happy about that. It actually turned out to be super fun though. At first we played regular soccer, and then we "invented" this game that right now is "snail ball" until we think of a better name. Basically it is like soccer, only you can't run. The only big differences besides that, are that the field is smaller, you can play, and score from, either side of the goal, and lastly, the goal is pretty much a lawn chair folded up in its stuff bag, or something that is roughly the same shape and size. The best rule though, is the penalty for running: if someone runs, then his or her team has to hop on one leg for 15 sec.....just imagine how amazing to watch that game would be. :P
After we were done, my sister took me out to a coffee shop to catch up. It was really nice--thanks Soph. ;) But after we were done, I was wondering what I was going to do for the rest of the day. The outlook wasn't very good....probably taking naps all day.
Then, when I got inside, my mom comes up to me and says, "Hey Thomas come here, I have to show you something."
"What? Did something come for me?"
"No"
"Is it something special"
"No" (while I am walking into the dining-room)
Then, as I walked through the doorway, I was mobbed my all my friends....I was so surprised. I was thinking that I was in trouble, and was, in my head, going through all the things that I might be in trouble for. My friends said I looked like I thought they were going to kill me. XD
The party was so much fun. We alternated between eating, playing volleyball, watching volleyball, chilling, and playing water polo. My family and friends are so great!!!!!! Thanks so much!
After my parents were done with having us at our house, we party moved on to ones of my friend's house. We played games and watched a movie....the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Now for the apology and complaint parts of the post:
The apology is for all the typos on the blog. I have this awful habit of not proofreading my posts, and, as I am not the best typist, the result is a lot of them. Sorry! And deal with it, because I'm not changing it.
The complaint is jetlag. On Fri. I was up for 30 hours, not the best, but I'm cool with that. But the real problem is that I've woken up before 7 both days I've been home. It makes sense because 7 in the morning is 2 in the afternoon, but still. It's such a pain in the neck. And that complaint was brought to you by jetlag, the nemesis of travelers.
I'm off to take a shower.
Later.
-Thomas, who upon looking out the window and seeing a blue sky, really, really, really, wants to go to the beach. :)
Friday, September 20, 2013
Home!!!!!!
We got home at around 7:30 this evening. I cant tell you how nice it is to see everyone and everything again! I've been up for about 26 and a half hours, so I'm going to keep this short and hopefully sweet.
We got up at 3:45 in the morning to drive to the airport and before I knew it, we were dropping off our rental car. Everything went smoothly until we got into the plane. It was then that I discovered that the plug-in for my head phones didn't work. :( On top of that, I think there was something wrong with the cooling system, because the plane was STIFLING. And it took forever to get to New Jersey. For example: it took just over 10 hours to get to London on the way out; on the way back we flew from Shannon, which is about an hour west of London, and it took us well over 8 hours to get to stinking New Jersey! That's how slow the flight was. And, because I was without books or a TV, I was forced to do physics and read about the A-bomb. Not so good. But, in the end we arrived safe and sound, and that's all that matters, right?
My trip is officially complete now. It was the best experience of my life. And it sadly means that I will probably not have very many interesting things to blog about. :( It's really gonna be the ramblings of a teenaged athlete now. I'll do my best to make it interesting. :P
-Thomas
We got up at 3:45 in the morning to drive to the airport and before I knew it, we were dropping off our rental car. Everything went smoothly until we got into the plane. It was then that I discovered that the plug-in for my head phones didn't work. :( On top of that, I think there was something wrong with the cooling system, because the plane was STIFLING. And it took forever to get to New Jersey. For example: it took just over 10 hours to get to London on the way out; on the way back we flew from Shannon, which is about an hour west of London, and it took us well over 8 hours to get to stinking New Jersey! That's how slow the flight was. And, because I was without books or a TV, I was forced to do physics and read about the A-bomb. Not so good. But, in the end we arrived safe and sound, and that's all that matters, right?
My trip is officially complete now. It was the best experience of my life. And it sadly means that I will probably not have very many interesting things to blog about. :( It's really gonna be the ramblings of a teenaged athlete now. I'll do my best to make it interesting. :P
-Thomas
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Picture time!!!!!!
I found the connector thingy while I was cleaning out the car--it must have slipped out of a bag when we were bringing things in to our room. I'm going to upload a few of the better one ones, but first you will have to sit through my wrap-up of the trip.
Today was the last day of our trip. It's sad in a way, but at the same time I'm super excited to come home today was awesome. I got my perfect sweater and then we went to the mountain where St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland. After that we went to a castle-abbey-thing. The two places, and everything in between were amazing. I have to get up at 3:45 in the morning, so my dad wants me to go to bad NOW, as he put it...I can't give you descriptions...Sorry, but orders is orders. :( I'll let you try to figure everything out. :P
In the meantime, goodbye Europe! You have been the host of one of the best experiences of my life!!!!!!!!!!
GB.
-Thomas
Today was the last day of our trip. It's sad in a way, but at the same time I'm super excited to come home today was awesome. I got my perfect sweater and then we went to the mountain where St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland. After that we went to a castle-abbey-thing. The two places, and everything in between were amazing. I have to get up at 3:45 in the morning, so my dad wants me to go to bad NOW, as he put it...I can't give you descriptions...Sorry, but orders is orders. :( I'll let you try to figure everything out. :P
In the meantime, goodbye Europe! You have been the host of one of the best experiences of my life!!!!!!!!!!
GB.
-Thomas
So I did get back on...
...And I have nothing particularly exciting to talk about, but...
Over the years, people have occasionally told me that I sleep talk. The fact that I sleep-talk got further cemented when Matteo, a guy from Italy, stayed with us last month and slept in my room. He was a light sleeper, and he said that I woke him up pretty much every night. He said that I even sleepwalked. Ok, you're probably thinking, why the heck is he talking about this...is this guy really this random? (Wow, I just used "this" three times, that's the great thing about blogs, there are no English teachers on them.) The answer to your question is, yes, and no. I really am a pretty random person, but me telling you about my sleep-talking isn't totally out of context. Why? You ask. Because my parents are stuck in the same room as me and I have been keeping them up. :P
Some of the more funny/embarrassing moments:
One time when we were camping with a priest (who happens to be my uncle) and his friend, who was a consecrated layman, I woke up one morning and his friend told my he had heard me sleep talking. I was like, oh no what did I say....it turned out to be not THAT bad. I supposedly was just repeating, over and over again, the phrase "what in the butt" ...not one of my banner moments. ;)
Then, when Matteo was here, one night I stood up in my bed and raised my arm, shouting, "I will save you!" Well, at least Teo got an idea of what he was in for staying with our family...insanity.
Here in our B&B, my parents only remember bits and pieces...."I'll get you back, ohhh that tickles." They don't remember anything else distinctly, but they did say that when I am leading up to a cuss, I just start going, "flugggerbthaticker" or something of that sort. Which was really satisfying on two levels. First, it proved to my parents that I don't really cuss. And second, it will put my mind at ease the next time I'm in a tent that's adjacent to a priest's. :P
And now you know of one of my many oddities.
-Thomas
Over the years, people have occasionally told me that I sleep talk. The fact that I sleep-talk got further cemented when Matteo, a guy from Italy, stayed with us last month and slept in my room. He was a light sleeper, and he said that I woke him up pretty much every night. He said that I even sleepwalked. Ok, you're probably thinking, why the heck is he talking about this...is this guy really this random? (Wow, I just used "this" three times, that's the great thing about blogs, there are no English teachers on them.) The answer to your question is, yes, and no. I really am a pretty random person, but me telling you about my sleep-talking isn't totally out of context. Why? You ask. Because my parents are stuck in the same room as me and I have been keeping them up. :P
Some of the more funny/embarrassing moments:
One time when we were camping with a priest (who happens to be my uncle) and his friend, who was a consecrated layman, I woke up one morning and his friend told my he had heard me sleep talking. I was like, oh no what did I say....it turned out to be not THAT bad. I supposedly was just repeating, over and over again, the phrase "what in the butt" ...not one of my banner moments. ;)
Then, when Matteo was here, one night I stood up in my bed and raised my arm, shouting, "I will save you!" Well, at least Teo got an idea of what he was in for staying with our family...insanity.
Here in our B&B, my parents only remember bits and pieces...."I'll get you back, ohhh that tickles." They don't remember anything else distinctly, but they did say that when I am leading up to a cuss, I just start going, "flugggerbthaticker" or something of that sort. Which was really satisfying on two levels. First, it proved to my parents that I don't really cuss. And second, it will put my mind at ease the next time I'm in a tent that's adjacent to a priest's. :P
And now you know of one of my many oddities.
-Thomas
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Family tree.
Today we went to mass at Knock, searched for sweaters again, and did some reconnecting with extended family. It is getting late here so I'm just going to tell you about the last bit--yep, you just caught a break. ;P
We spent the afternoon and evening catching up and meeting with my mom's relatives. It was so great. We met with two couples who where my great-grandmother's nieces and nephews. They were amazing! The people around here are so outgoing, entertaining, simple, and kind. They took us out to lunch and then we went to the house where my grandmother was born. It was really neat to see the family roots.
Then we went on a awesome drive through the countryside on the top of a ridge. And, while we were driving, my mom called a relative on my great-grandfather's side. She got through to the contact, Martin O'Hara, and he dropped everything and took us on a tour of the area. We visited a family friend, a dear old man of 87 who was somehow connected to everything, went to Martin's house for tea, and visited the cemetery and church that my great-grandfather's family used. It was a great experience.
I'm sorry, but it appears that we left the cord for the camera in London...I'll post the best pictures when we get home.
If I don't get on before we leave, please pray for safe travels back to the states.
Later.
-Thomas
We spent the afternoon and evening catching up and meeting with my mom's relatives. It was so great. We met with two couples who where my great-grandmother's nieces and nephews. They were amazing! The people around here are so outgoing, entertaining, simple, and kind. They took us out to lunch and then we went to the house where my grandmother was born. It was really neat to see the family roots.
Then we went on a awesome drive through the countryside on the top of a ridge. And, while we were driving, my mom called a relative on my great-grandfather's side. She got through to the contact, Martin O'Hara, and he dropped everything and took us on a tour of the area. We visited a family friend, a dear old man of 87 who was somehow connected to everything, went to Martin's house for tea, and visited the cemetery and church that my great-grandfather's family used. It was a great experience.
I'm sorry, but it appears that we left the cord for the camera in London...I'll post the best pictures when we get home.
If I don't get on before we leave, please pray for safe travels back to the states.
Later.
-Thomas
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
The story of today...churches, a basilica, and a quest for the perfect sweater.
As you all know, my family and I are serious Catholics. So, when they found out that where we were staying was not far from Knock, a famous shine and basilica where there was an apparition of Mary a little over a hundred years ago, they decided to go. It was quite an experience. There were like 6 different churches on the site, all dedicated to different things.
And then, on the way home we passed another church. There are churches and shrines EVERYWHERE here in Ireland, which I think is nice, but I don't think we have to stop at all of them. My parents have this thing with stopping at churches, so we stopped to check it out. Now don't get me wrong, I love going to church. But, as my dad suggested stopping, I was thinking, Wait. Weren't we just at a church twenty min. ago? Isn't six in one day enough?....I guess it wasn't because we went. And it was nice. A little side note--Catholics make the sign of the cross every time they pass a church--well, my parents and I are getting quite the workout from it....maybe if I have come here BEFORE my race I would have won. ;)
The rest of the day was spent driving through the beautiful countryside, looking for the perfect sweater. We found some perfect ones, but the same couldn't be said about the prices, so we are going to see if we can find them anywhere else at a more reasonable price.
I also owe you an apology because I seem to have misplaced the usb cable for our camera. So you will have to like with out the pictures till (hopefully) tomorrow. In the meanwhile, I have a small recompense for the absence of beautiful pictures....
...An awful one. That is me. Drinking a pint o'Guinness. On my birthday. Heaven on earth for me, insult to injury for you. Sorry, but it was the best I could do. :P
Also, here is a link to some good pictures from my race: http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event.py?event=Sports/CPUK/2013/ITU%20Paratriathlon%20World%20Champs&match=84&name=Thomas
I hope yerself is doin well.
-Thomas
And then, on the way home we passed another church. There are churches and shrines EVERYWHERE here in Ireland, which I think is nice, but I don't think we have to stop at all of them. My parents have this thing with stopping at churches, so we stopped to check it out. Now don't get me wrong, I love going to church. But, as my dad suggested stopping, I was thinking, Wait. Weren't we just at a church twenty min. ago? Isn't six in one day enough?....I guess it wasn't because we went. And it was nice. A little side note--Catholics make the sign of the cross every time they pass a church--well, my parents and I are getting quite the workout from it....maybe if I have come here BEFORE my race I would have won. ;)
The rest of the day was spent driving through the beautiful countryside, looking for the perfect sweater. We found some perfect ones, but the same couldn't be said about the prices, so we are going to see if we can find them anywhere else at a more reasonable price.
I also owe you an apology because I seem to have misplaced the usb cable for our camera. So you will have to like with out the pictures till (hopefully) tomorrow. In the meanwhile, I have a small recompense for the absence of beautiful pictures....
Also, here is a link to some good pictures from my race: http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event.py?event=Sports/CPUK/2013/ITU%20Paratriathlon%20World%20Champs&match=84&name=Thomas
I hope yerself is doin well.
-Thomas
Monday, September 16, 2013
In bed and tired and over-full
And I forgot the camera in the car. And I'm feeling to tired to get it. So sorry, but you will have to wait till tomorrow for the pictures.
-Thomas, who is feeling like a bloated billy goat, and ordered his first Guinness...he doesn't like beer very much, but it's kinda the thing here in Ireland, so why not?
-Thomas, who is feeling like a bloated billy goat, and ordered his first Guinness...he doesn't like beer very much, but it's kinda the thing here in Ireland, so why not?
In Ireland!!!!
Just got to our B&B here in Ireland. Everything went smoothly. It's my birthday, so we are going out to get a Guinness. ;) On the way here we went to the most beautiful sea-cliffs I've ever seen...they were a amazing!! It was so much fun because there were 90mph winds at the top...I thought I was going be blown away. ;) I'll post pictures later.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Last day in GB. :(
Ok, sorry I didn't post anything yesterday. We were out literally all day and we didn't get back till pretty late...I just couldn't muster up enough energy type up a post...so I wasted a bunch of time on FB. :P
Today was my last day here...it all went way too fast. London is such an amazing city! If you haven't been here yet, make sure to put it on your bucket list. I think that, besides Big Ben and all the touristy stuff, the thing that really stood out to me the most was the amount of parks. They were all over the place! And they were so, so, so beautiful. From almost anywhere in the city, a 5min walk would get you to a park where you could relax and take a little break from the crazy "city" parts, which were, by the way, a good sort of crazy.
Now for what we did yesterday and today...
Yesterday was a big day. We left the flat at around 11 and went downtown to see all the sights. And we did. Big Ben, The Eye, Parliament, Westminster Abby, Buckingham and all the government buildings, St. James's Palace, Trafalgar Square...you name it, we saw it. There are so many pictures I cant choose...so if you live nearby I can show you when we get back. If not, sorry! I might post a few later.
Then at four there was the medal ceremony. It was a time of mixed emotions for me. I was happy for all (well, most) of the people who were up there, but at the same time it was a reminder to me that I should have been there representing the U.S. On the other hand, it got me super pumped for next year. I WILL be up there next time!
After the ceremony we had a little team photo-shoot. At which the guys got limited edition pairs of J&L Pie Co. (the title sponsor of my team) boxer briefs. They are epic! I wanted to post pictures of me in them, but my parents wouldn't let me, even though it was for a sponsor. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything. ;) Ok, did I just scare you? Good! That was the point...I have this awful tendency of making things up. :P There is actually some in it though; I did get boxers and they are epic, but I was never really seriously considering post pictures. ;)
Now then. Back to the touristy stuff.
After the boxer ordeal, we went across this suspension bridge that's up-river from Big Ben, and right by The Eye. My uncle wanted to go in the eye and kindly offered to take me with him, so we went. It was great! We could see everything! And on top of that, it was right as the sun was setting, so all the lights were starting to come on. I think I'll get a picture.....
Once we were done with The Eye, we met up with my parents at this awesome restaurant and got pizza. For dessert I got this DELICIOUS tiramisu...it was so big and fluffy I could have died! It tasted so good. That might have partly been due to the fact that it was the first real dessert I had had in 3 months. Not to take anything away from the tiramisu though, it was simply splendid!
Then we had to walk back over the bridge to get to the bus stop...here is the view....
Today was my last day here...it all went way too fast. London is such an amazing city! If you haven't been here yet, make sure to put it on your bucket list. I think that, besides Big Ben and all the touristy stuff, the thing that really stood out to me the most was the amount of parks. They were all over the place! And they were so, so, so beautiful. From almost anywhere in the city, a 5min walk would get you to a park where you could relax and take a little break from the crazy "city" parts, which were, by the way, a good sort of crazy.
Now for what we did yesterday and today...
Yesterday was a big day. We left the flat at around 11 and went downtown to see all the sights. And we did. Big Ben, The Eye, Parliament, Westminster Abby, Buckingham and all the government buildings, St. James's Palace, Trafalgar Square...you name it, we saw it. There are so many pictures I cant choose...so if you live nearby I can show you when we get back. If not, sorry! I might post a few later.
Then at four there was the medal ceremony. It was a time of mixed emotions for me. I was happy for all (well, most) of the people who were up there, but at the same time it was a reminder to me that I should have been there representing the U.S. On the other hand, it got me super pumped for next year. I WILL be up there next time!
After the ceremony we had a little team photo-shoot. At which the guys got limited edition pairs of J&L Pie Co. (the title sponsor of my team) boxer briefs. They are epic! I wanted to post pictures of me in them, but my parents wouldn't let me, even though it was for a sponsor. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything. ;) Ok, did I just scare you? Good! That was the point...I have this awful tendency of making things up. :P There is actually some in it though; I did get boxers and they are epic, but I was never really seriously considering post pictures. ;)
Now then. Back to the touristy stuff.
After the boxer ordeal, we went across this suspension bridge that's up-river from Big Ben, and right by The Eye. My uncle wanted to go in the eye and kindly offered to take me with him, so we went. It was great! We could see everything! And on top of that, it was right as the sun was setting, so all the lights were starting to come on. I think I'll get a picture.....
It's kinda blurry because it's (obviously) through glass, but you still get the overall effect...amazingness! Once we were done with The Eye, we met up with my parents at this awesome restaurant and got pizza. For dessert I got this DELICIOUS tiramisu...it was so big and fluffy I could have died! It tasted so good. That might have partly been due to the fact that it was the first real dessert I had had in 3 months. Not to take anything away from the tiramisu though, it was simply splendid!
Then we had to walk back over the bridge to get to the bus stop...here is the view....
And that was yesterday...a very tiring, but extremely fun day!
Today began after 4 hours of sleep...I'm still not acclimated to going to sleep at the right time here, but I get up at around 7 in the morning usually.
It's Sunday, so we went to church. We tried to catch a 9 o'clock at this really neat little church in the downtown area, but we took a wrong turn and were subsequently about 20 min. late. :( It was still neat though. It is the oldest catholic church in Great Britain...the crypt dates back to the 6th century. That's OLD! Then we went to Buckingham again and nothing much was going on there, so we went to the Cathedral for a 12 o'clock mass. It was beautiful. But I think the organ had a drowsing effect on me because, try as I might, I could not stay awake. Thanks, 4 hours of sleep!
Then before going back home to pack, came the highlight of the trip so far. I went to Macdonald's. It was crazy expensive.
Fin.
GB.
-Thomas
Just kidding! I just looked at the date and realized that my birthday is tomorrow. It's going to be a weird one...traveling and without my sibs or friends. I'll miss you guys!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Some pictures!!!
Ok. Here are the pictures. Like I said, the racing ones aren't great. Sorry.
Ok, these two are for some reason glued together, so I'm doing the description of this one on the top.
"Thomas Cain was here." My mom's attempt of catching me on the bike. XD
This one is pretty obvious
Clueless looking constable outside his house...thought this was pretty perfect;)
Hyde Park.
The flags of 85 countries atop the grandstand.
View from the grandstand.
Sherlocking, triathlon style.
Bitter anguish.
Cones.
Sweet, sweet victory!!!!
Well, that it for now...the wifi in our apartment is really slow, so it takes FOREVER to upload the pics.
...It's Saturday here, so I should probably toddle off to bed!
Later.
-Thomas
Back from dinner...now for the race
Warning: This might turn into a rant.
I got to the race venue at about 11:30 to check in. Once I got checked in, my dad and I went over to the transition area. And we spent the next hour and a half trying to figure everything out...think we eventually did. ;) Then came the start. All 47 of us had to line up and get our name announced. I was like, oh no, now they know who I am. This is embarrassing. :P Once we were all announced, we all lined up on the platoon. To be honest, my thoughts were a very uninspiring: ewww! This water looks really dirty!...at least I wasn't nervous. ;) Anyway, my swim is my strongest discipline, so it's my job to get a good lead on the main pack and hold them off on the bike and run. Well, everything started up fine, I was in the lead with these two other guys, but then my goggles fogged up. :(
Needless to say, it was quite frustrating. It is really hard to have a good open water swim when you can't see anything. I still managed to come out of the water 7th, but I didn't know that at the time, I thought it was more like 15th or something like that. So. I already wasn't happy with my swim and then, right after I got on the bike, my aerobar for my stump (which is essentially my handlebar for that side) loosened, and flipped over. Ok, now I'm really frustrated. And that's a weak way of saying it. Not only because it happened, but also because I KNEW it was loose and forgot about it. Oh, and did I mention that it was POURING rain and there was gas seeping out of the road in one of the u-turns?
Ok Thomas, take a deep breath. This is turning into a rant.
*deep breaths*
Anyway. I thought about stopping; I was that mad and uncomfortable about and with the aerobar. But I decided to carry on. After awhile I started to calm down. And I subsequently started to feel better. Even start passing people. I was top 5 at one point. But then my calves and quads started cramping. I was like, really? That meant that I couldn't push very had. Then my teammate Chis Hammer passed me. He is, by the way, one of the nicest persons I have ever met and a great athlete. I stayed with him and after a bit I started to feel better. I knew I had no chance of winning it on the run, (my weakness) so I decided to pull Chris (he is a Paralympic runner) in for the last 1/2 lap. I pretty much sprinted it. And my legs cramped up again. The first lap of my run was not very fast, but on the second lap my legs started to feel better. Then this fast Spanish dude passed me and I was like, I'm not letting this guy beat me. I ran on his back until we got to the grandstands and then I pulled along side him. We ran for a little while like that, waiting for the other person to make a move. Then on the last turn in started to sprint. I don't think I've ever run that fast in my life. He was with me for about 50 meters and then he cracked...it felt soooo good. ;) In the end I probably finished 10-15th
Well, that's it. I might post some pictures later...my mom said she didn't get any good ones, but we'll see.
You probably know this, but just to make sure...I'm not trying to make excuses, I know the other guys won fair and square and that I most likely wouldn't have won even if things had gone well....I just would have done better...oh well, next year. I'm already super excited!!! All things considered, I'm happy with it...and hey, a free trip to London? Who am I to complain. ;) Both the trip and the race have been amazing experiences so far.
Pippip!
Thomas
I got to the race venue at about 11:30 to check in. Once I got checked in, my dad and I went over to the transition area. And we spent the next hour and a half trying to figure everything out...think we eventually did. ;) Then came the start. All 47 of us had to line up and get our name announced. I was like, oh no, now they know who I am. This is embarrassing. :P Once we were all announced, we all lined up on the platoon. To be honest, my thoughts were a very uninspiring: ewww! This water looks really dirty!...at least I wasn't nervous. ;) Anyway, my swim is my strongest discipline, so it's my job to get a good lead on the main pack and hold them off on the bike and run. Well, everything started up fine, I was in the lead with these two other guys, but then my goggles fogged up. :(
Needless to say, it was quite frustrating. It is really hard to have a good open water swim when you can't see anything. I still managed to come out of the water 7th, but I didn't know that at the time, I thought it was more like 15th or something like that. So. I already wasn't happy with my swim and then, right after I got on the bike, my aerobar for my stump (which is essentially my handlebar for that side) loosened, and flipped over. Ok, now I'm really frustrated. And that's a weak way of saying it. Not only because it happened, but also because I KNEW it was loose and forgot about it. Oh, and did I mention that it was POURING rain and there was gas seeping out of the road in one of the u-turns?
Ok Thomas, take a deep breath. This is turning into a rant.
*deep breaths*
Anyway. I thought about stopping; I was that mad and uncomfortable about and with the aerobar. But I decided to carry on. After awhile I started to calm down. And I subsequently started to feel better. Even start passing people. I was top 5 at one point. But then my calves and quads started cramping. I was like, really? That meant that I couldn't push very had. Then my teammate Chis Hammer passed me. He is, by the way, one of the nicest persons I have ever met and a great athlete. I stayed with him and after a bit I started to feel better. I knew I had no chance of winning it on the run, (my weakness) so I decided to pull Chris (he is a Paralympic runner) in for the last 1/2 lap. I pretty much sprinted it. And my legs cramped up again. The first lap of my run was not very fast, but on the second lap my legs started to feel better. Then this fast Spanish dude passed me and I was like, I'm not letting this guy beat me. I ran on his back until we got to the grandstands and then I pulled along side him. We ran for a little while like that, waiting for the other person to make a move. Then on the last turn in started to sprint. I don't think I've ever run that fast in my life. He was with me for about 50 meters and then he cracked...it felt soooo good. ;) In the end I probably finished 10-15th
Well, that's it. I might post some pictures later...my mom said she didn't get any good ones, but we'll see.
You probably know this, but just to make sure...I'm not trying to make excuses, I know the other guys won fair and square and that I most likely wouldn't have won even if things had gone well....I just would have done better...oh well, next year. I'm already super excited!!! All things considered, I'm happy with it...and hey, a free trip to London? Who am I to complain. ;) Both the trip and the race have been amazing experiences so far.
Pippip!
Thomas
It is finished.
...Don't worry, I'm not about to die. ;)
The race went not-so-good, but right now I want to talk about yesterday and then I'll take care of today.
Yesterday started at 6:30 with a bike/ run in Hyde Park. Then we went to a convent of nuns where the Tybern (or maybe tyborn...too lazy to look it up) Tree (the place where they killed lots of the martyrs during the reformation) was. There was a shrine there honoring all the martyrs and it was such a powerful experience. They had amazing relics there and it was a reminder to me that, although what I do is pretty darn cool, these guys are the real deal. I sacrifice part of my life for a title, a medal, and personal accomplishment. They sacrificed all for the ultimate goal. I almost feel guilty talking about what they did, and what I do, in the same paragraph. Moving on.
Then we went and rented city bikes so that we could go to 221B baker St. before an anti-doping meeting I had to go to. After nearly killing myself twice, we got there. It was cool. Ok. Fast forward to tomorrow, or, I guess it's today now isn't it? Actually, I have to go to dinner now. I'll be back soon...If I don't collapse;)
The race went not-so-good, but right now I want to talk about yesterday and then I'll take care of today.
Yesterday started at 6:30 with a bike/ run in Hyde Park. Then we went to a convent of nuns where the Tybern (or maybe tyborn...too lazy to look it up) Tree (the place where they killed lots of the martyrs during the reformation) was. There was a shrine there honoring all the martyrs and it was such a powerful experience. They had amazing relics there and it was a reminder to me that, although what I do is pretty darn cool, these guys are the real deal. I sacrifice part of my life for a title, a medal, and personal accomplishment. They sacrificed all for the ultimate goal. I almost feel guilty talking about what they did, and what I do, in the same paragraph. Moving on.
Then we went and rented city bikes so that we could go to 221B baker St. before an anti-doping meeting I had to go to. After nearly killing myself twice, we got there. It was cool. Ok. Fast forward to tomorrow, or, I guess it's today now isn't it? Actually, I have to go to dinner now. I'll be back soon...If I don't collapse;)
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Its Tomorrow!!!
...so I am resting up. I'm really excited and I hope all goes well. Thoughts and prayers would be appreciated! Will have a long post tomorrow for you...still not sure if that's good or bad, ;)
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Picture time!!!
Phew!!! Probably walked like fifty miles today. But we are back at our apartment at last!...with a camera:) So this is going to be a picture post. We didn't see anything really exciting or famous because there were meeting and such, but there are some pictures worth seeing.....
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
Don't know exactly what this is, but it looked important...probably the tower or Buckingham.
My Dad And I.
The serpentine. (Where I am swimming...berrrr)
Prince Albert memorial.
Prince Albert hall.
Random beautiful building...there are a lot of those.
Those adorable school children I was talking about...Wish I had gotten a better picture:(
Anyway, there you are, I'll have some better ones sometime in the near future.
-Thomas
Remembering 9/11
Just a short tidbit...
Wow! I cant believe it's been 12 year's since that horrific day. I still remember watching the news as I five year-old, not really understanding the gravity of the situation. The lives of all the victims, first responders, and all men and woman that have fought and died overseas, are forever in our prayers and hearts. Dear God, please bless their souls and The USA!!!
Wow! I cant believe it's been 12 year's since that horrific day. I still remember watching the news as I five year-old, not really understanding the gravity of the situation. The lives of all the victims, first responders, and all men and woman that have fought and died overseas, are forever in our prayers and hearts. Dear God, please bless their souls and The USA!!!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Here!!!!! (Extended version)
Ok, where to start...there is so much to say. I guess that usually the best and most intelligible way to tell a story is from the beginning. Here we go.....
We left for LA at four o'clock in the afternoon. Actually, I got picked up by my parents because some of my awesome friends organized a last minute goodbye gathering...thanks guys!!!
Upon arriving at the airport I had an awful thought that turned out to be a reality. I forgot my meds. I cannot believe how stupid I am. We called home to see if we could ship them overnight, but, as it turns out, it's illegal to ship medications, so I'm stuck without them. :( In addition to that, we realized that we had forgotten our camera...so sorry, but there ain't gonna be no pictures. Just kidding. We're planning buying one tomorrow. :D
Anyway. Once we got onto the plane everything was great. I slept a little, rested a little, and watched a lot of movies: Thor, Star-trek, (the new one) Ironman, The Princess Bride, and MU. Yeah, I know, I pretty much labeled myself as a geek right there, but who cares? The flight was smooth and, once we landed, we took the tube out to the apartment. Oh, and I forgot. While we were landing we got an amazing view of the city: Big Ben, Westminster Abby, the Big Eye, the houses of Parliament, and all that good stuff...so great!
The scenery is so beautiful. I really don't know how to describe it...this is the best way I can think of...If you have ever been to SF, take all the most beautiful buildings and areas of the city and multiply by about a thousand. That doesn't really do justice to it...I'll be posting pictures once we get the camera. ;)
And the people are so nice and helpful...well, at least the ones we've met. It's like they have the small town sense of community and camaraderie, even though they live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the world. Its so great! Its like the opposite of New York. Probably the coolest thing for me so far have been all the British schoolchildren. It's exactly like in the movies; the kids are all in there uniforms with their blazers and ties and caps...the little ones are so cute, and the older ones are so, well, British I guess. ;)
In case you haven't noticed, I am in love.
Take care, and thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!
-Thomas, who can't wait to find out what the rest of his trip has in store for him!
We left for LA at four o'clock in the afternoon. Actually, I got picked up by my parents because some of my awesome friends organized a last minute goodbye gathering...thanks guys!!!
Upon arriving at the airport I had an awful thought that turned out to be a reality. I forgot my meds. I cannot believe how stupid I am. We called home to see if we could ship them overnight, but, as it turns out, it's illegal to ship medications, so I'm stuck without them. :( In addition to that, we realized that we had forgotten our camera...so sorry, but there ain't gonna be no pictures. Just kidding. We're planning buying one tomorrow. :D
Anyway. Once we got onto the plane everything was great. I slept a little, rested a little, and watched a lot of movies: Thor, Star-trek, (the new one) Ironman, The Princess Bride, and MU. Yeah, I know, I pretty much labeled myself as a geek right there, but who cares? The flight was smooth and, once we landed, we took the tube out to the apartment. Oh, and I forgot. While we were landing we got an amazing view of the city: Big Ben, Westminster Abby, the Big Eye, the houses of Parliament, and all that good stuff...so great!
The scenery is so beautiful. I really don't know how to describe it...this is the best way I can think of...If you have ever been to SF, take all the most beautiful buildings and areas of the city and multiply by about a thousand. That doesn't really do justice to it...I'll be posting pictures once we get the camera. ;)
And the people are so nice and helpful...well, at least the ones we've met. It's like they have the small town sense of community and camaraderie, even though they live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the world. Its so great! Its like the opposite of New York. Probably the coolest thing for me so far have been all the British schoolchildren. It's exactly like in the movies; the kids are all in there uniforms with their blazers and ties and caps...the little ones are so cute, and the older ones are so, well, British I guess. ;)
In case you haven't noticed, I am in love.
Take care, and thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!
-Thomas, who can't wait to find out what the rest of his trip has in store for him!
Here!!!
We are in our apartment...everything went smooth-ish...I have to go to a meeting right now...be back with more later.
-Thomas
-Thomas
Monday, September 9, 2013
Packed. And goodbye. (If I dont see you before I go.)
I am officially packed! And, probably due to your prayers, my bags have not exploded yet...keep them coming. ;) Actually, I ended up with plenty of room because I want lots of room for souvenirs for all of my awesome friends. If you have any requests for pictures or anything, let me know, ok?
And now for my extremely emotional goodbye to the U.S. and y'all: Goodbye forever and ever. I will never see you again because I plan to run away and live in a little cottage in Ireland!!!!!!
;P
Ok, this one's for real.
To the U.S.: Goodbye, beautiful motherland. I'm so proud to be representing the bestest, coolest, awesomest county ever!!
To my Friends and Family: I'm going to miss all of you guys. Hopefully I'll be able to see some of you before I leave; if not, goodbye, and please pray that everything goes well.
Well, next post will be coming from London. So excited!!!! I'll be sure to take pictures, and if you want a postcard, tell me below. :)
In HIS name,
-Thomas
And now for my extremely emotional goodbye to the U.S. and y'all: Goodbye forever and ever. I will never see you again because I plan to run away and live in a little cottage in Ireland!!!!!!
;P
Ok, this one's for real.
To the U.S.: Goodbye, beautiful motherland. I'm so proud to be representing the bestest, coolest, awesomest county ever!!
To my Friends and Family: I'm going to miss all of you guys. Hopefully I'll be able to see some of you before I leave; if not, goodbye, and please pray that everything goes well.
Well, next post will be coming from London. So excited!!!! I'll be sure to take pictures, and if you want a postcard, tell me below. :)
In HIS name,
-Thomas
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Packing!!!
I just started packing for the trip! Well, I guess I should say, I'm about to start packing, because I really haven't actually started yet. You see, I've been putting it off as long I can because it's really a pain in the neck. Pretty much all triathletes know that packing and traveling with all of one's gear is the triathlete's arch-nemesis. For all of you non-triathletes, let me explain. Ok, imagine you are going to Europe as a tourist; you would bring quite a lot of stuff, right? Then imagine that in addition to all that touristy stuff you have all the necessary equipment for your favorite hobby or sport. You following me thus far? Yep? Ok then, moving on. Next, take that equipment and multiply it by three. Then there ensues the struggle of trying to make everything fit into one suit case and a bunch of carry-ons, so that the baggage fees will be only five-hundred dollars each way, instead of a thousand. And THAT is the reason that travel is the triathlete's public enemy number one.
I also have arrived at the conclusion that yesterday's conclusion was wrong. The full effects of the insane antibiotics that I am taking have left me feeling...well, like a normal, blobby human. :( Hopefully I'll be feeling better on Friday...Prayers would be appreciated!
Anyway, I think my lazy procrastinating has gone on long enough. For some reason I thought complain about packing would motivate me to get going...guess I was wrong. But, the show must go on... I'm off to start packing. Please pray that all my stuff fits, and that once everything is in, my bags wont explode. ;)
-Thomas
I also have arrived at the conclusion that yesterday's conclusion was wrong. The full effects of the insane antibiotics that I am taking have left me feeling...well, like a normal, blobby human. :( Hopefully I'll be feeling better on Friday...Prayers would be appreciated!
Anyway, I think my lazy procrastinating has gone on long enough. For some reason I thought complain about packing would motivate me to get going...guess I was wrong. But, the show must go on... I'm off to start packing. Please pray that all my stuff fits, and that once everything is in, my bags wont explode. ;)
-Thomas
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Nasal rinsing. *Proceed with caution, contains graphic images.
One of the things I have to do for the staph infection in my sinus is to rinse my sinus (in addition to the billion pills I have to take, multiple times a day) with this special bottle that has a special potent in it. Anyway. It's kind of hard to describe, and they say a picture is worth a thousand words....so here we go.....
A unsuspecting, innocent me about to start the procedure.....
The procedure...
Me, post procedure...
Well, there you have it. If you couldn't see, or were completely grossed out, I was squirting the stuff up one nostril and it went all through my sinus and out the other nostril. And those are the gory details. I still think it would have been better if I had filmed it to epic music in slow-mo. Whatever, this will have to do for now. Oh, and if these are the first pictures you have seen of me, I probably didn't make a very good first impression...oh well, I've never been good at those anyway;)
Viva la vida!
-Thomas, who has come to the conclusion that he is not human...what else can explain everything?
A (long) health update.
As many of you may know, I have been having health problems since April. Yep, you just read that right, APRIL. Needless to say, it hasn't been fun. It has, in fact, been quite frustrating. But the most frustrating thing hasn't been the actual illness, it has been the fogginess that has surrounded it. In May I was diagnosed with Mono. I got over that pretty quickly, but it absolutely roasted my immune system. So, the story of my summer was basically, try to start training, feel sick, stop training for couple of days, repeat throughout the summer. You're probably thinking, what about the fogginess? that seems pretty straightforward and clear. Don't worry, it's ok. I'm not going crazy; I'm getting to it. Then, about two months ago, my throat started to get really sore. It was unusual, though, because it did not go away. I have been getting sore throats all summer long, but they were usually gone after a day or two of rest. Like I said, it just stayed there forever. My mom and I went to the doctor, and she had no idea what it was, and didn't see anything wrong with my throat. Hah! There's the fogginess, I TOLD you.
Anyway, the suspense was awful. Just to be clear, I believe everything happens for a reason. So I was seriously thinking that maybe triathlon wasn't what I was supposed to do. The foggy sickness just added weight to that thought. I was thinking: ok, I've been sick for ages now. Why, if God wants me to do this, am I always sick? I struggled with that thought for quite awhile. As you can imagine, this mystery sickness made me think even more about whether I should be doing
triathlon. But yesterday the fog lifted.
My mom called the doctor and she, (the doctor) had just gotten the results from a culture she had taken last week. The results were pretty serious: two separate MRSA staph infections AND strep throat.....guess that would do it.
This is going to sound weird. I think my friend said it best yesterday, I'm probably the first person ever to be stoked to have two staff infections and strep. But I am. It is ssooooooooo relieving to finally know what is wrong with me; to know that, on those days that I didn't "have it" during my workouts, wasn't do to lack of motivation and heart; to know that everything is going to get better soon; and to know that I won't be sick indefinitely with some exotic disease. I am so happy, in fact, I might even be ecstatic!
Well there you go. You now know the long history of my awful summer;)
Take care.
-Thomas
Anyway, the suspense was awful. Just to be clear, I believe everything happens for a reason. So I was seriously thinking that maybe triathlon wasn't what I was supposed to do. The foggy sickness just added weight to that thought. I was thinking: ok, I've been sick for ages now. Why, if God wants me to do this, am I always sick? I struggled with that thought for quite awhile. As you can imagine, this mystery sickness made me think even more about whether I should be doing
triathlon. But yesterday the fog lifted.
My mom called the doctor and she, (the doctor) had just gotten the results from a culture she had taken last week. The results were pretty serious: two separate MRSA staph infections AND strep throat.....guess that would do it.
This is going to sound weird. I think my friend said it best yesterday, I'm probably the first person ever to be stoked to have two staff infections and strep. But I am. It is ssooooooooo relieving to finally know what is wrong with me; to know that, on those days that I didn't "have it" during my workouts, wasn't do to lack of motivation and heart; to know that everything is going to get better soon; and to know that I won't be sick indefinitely with some exotic disease. I am so happy, in fact, I might even be ecstatic!
Well there you go. You now know the long history of my awful summer;)
Take care.
-Thomas
Friday, September 6, 2013
Bye coach, and other random thoughts.
Ok, so last night was the last practice with my swim coach. EVER. He going to S. America as a missionary. I don't know how our team is going to survive without him. He was a great coach and he really pushed us hard. But, as sad as it is for everyone else, he is doing the right thing and that is what's important.
I had no idea what I was going to write about, but now I have thought of a brilliant idea...
My coach leaving our swim team is a good lesson for me and hopefully some of you as well.
As many of you know, I am obsessed with sports. Wait no, maybe that should be OBSESSED with sports...Yep, that's more like it;) Anyway, what I am getting at is that there are, believe it or not, more important things in life than sports, EVEN THAN FOOTBALL. *gasps*
Now that's not to say that I don't think sports are important. They are. Just as it is our duty to keep our mind sharp and exercised, we also need to take good care of our bodies and sports are a great way to do that that. Sports also teach us countless life lessons: teamwork, interaction with others, hard work, and discipline, to name a few. But they still are not at the top of...or should I say, should not be at the top of the pyramid.
The correct top of the pyramid is actually quite simple. We need to hold fast to what we know to be true and strive to be the best person we can. That can mean a lot of things, depending on what you believe in, but there is always that common principle that everyone should have. That is, to always strive to be the best person one can possibly be. Anyway, my fountain of brilliance is running out, so...The End.
Ok, I know, that wasn't that brilliant, but for being this early and not having anything to eat or drink yet, (maybe I should have put that on the top of the pyramid...oh well, to late now ;)) I still think it was pretty good.
-Thomas, who is stoked for today cuz it's gonna be awesome!!!!
I had no idea what I was going to write about, but now I have thought of a brilliant idea...
My coach leaving our swim team is a good lesson for me and hopefully some of you as well.
As many of you know, I am obsessed with sports. Wait no, maybe that should be OBSESSED with sports...Yep, that's more like it;) Anyway, what I am getting at is that there are, believe it or not, more important things in life than sports, EVEN THAN FOOTBALL. *gasps*
Now that's not to say that I don't think sports are important. They are. Just as it is our duty to keep our mind sharp and exercised, we also need to take good care of our bodies and sports are a great way to do that that. Sports also teach us countless life lessons: teamwork, interaction with others, hard work, and discipline, to name a few. But they still are not at the top of...or should I say, should not be at the top of the pyramid.
The correct top of the pyramid is actually quite simple. We need to hold fast to what we know to be true and strive to be the best person we can. That can mean a lot of things, depending on what you believe in, but there is always that common principle that everyone should have. That is, to always strive to be the best person one can possibly be. Anyway, my fountain of brilliance is running out, so...The End.
Ok, I know, that wasn't that brilliant, but for being this early and not having anything to eat or drink yet, (maybe I should have put that on the top of the pyramid...oh well, to late now ;)) I still think it was pretty good.
-Thomas, who is stoked for today cuz it's gonna be awesome!!!!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Sorry
Ok, I was going to post something, but it got too late...I'll put something up tomorrow....promise!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
First real post...drumroll anyone?
Ok, here it is. My first real post. I'm not really sure what to talk about, but here we go....
So today has been extremely hot and humid. Again. Its just awful. This is not normal for SoCal. It's usually hot, but the humidity is what's KILLING me. If my family didn't have a pool, I don't think I would survive. This is not why my parents pay insane taxes, and not why they paid ten times the amount it was worth for our house. They pay in order to get away from the humidity. I am not happy. Anyway, this weather started about two weeks ago...yeah, right when I started school. During the summer it would have been fine; I would simply have lived at the beach. But now that school has started, I am trapped the pit of sweat that is my house, slaving away at calculus and physics. Grrrrr.
Well, guess that's it for now. Got to go workout at my trainers bike shop. Talk about sweat pits....
-Thomas
So today has been extremely hot and humid. Again. Its just awful. This is not normal for SoCal. It's usually hot, but the humidity is what's KILLING me. If my family didn't have a pool, I don't think I would survive. This is not why my parents pay insane taxes, and not why they paid ten times the amount it was worth for our house. They pay in order to get away from the humidity. I am not happy. Anyway, this weather started about two weeks ago...yeah, right when I started school. During the summer it would have been fine; I would simply have lived at the beach. But now that school has started, I am trapped the pit of sweat that is my house, slaving away at calculus and physics. Grrrrr.
Well, guess that's it for now. Got to go workout at my trainers bike shop. Talk about sweat pits....
-Thomas
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)